1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device, such as a cellular phone, a car navigation, and a computer, and more particularly to a contact terminal to be used for the connection of an additional device to an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic device, such as a cellular phone, a car navigation, and a computer, is provided with various types of connectors for the connection of an additional device. For example, the connectors may be represent a USB (universal serial bus) connector that connects to a USB-capable memory device, or for the interconnection of electronic devices. Such connectors provide a communication line between an electronic device and at least one additional second device, or between electronic devices, thereby allowing the interchange of information generated from or stored in the electronic device.
A cellular phone or a notebook computer which is frequently seen around us, includes various types of connectors, especially in order to insure both portability and extensibility. Through such connectors, a user can extend the function of a portable electronic device by connecting additional devices to the portable electronic device.
Such a portable electronic device includes a battery pack, so that a user carrying the portable electronic device can use it when necessary. In general, a battery pack is provided to a portable electronic device in a removable manner to supply electrical power. Also, in the case of a cellular phone, when having a user identification module, called a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card, a user can make a call by using any cellular phone as long as the cellular phone allows SIM card connection without an additional subscription process.
Hereinafter, a component removably provided to a main body of a portable electronic device, such as a battery pack, a SIM card, etc., will be referred to as an ‘additional device’.
An electronic device includes various types of connectors for connecting additional devices, and the connectors include various types of contact terminals for providing electrical contacts. Some components, such as a battery pack, may be provided in the main body of an electronic device while exposing contact terminals without an external connector shape.
Hereinafter, the configuration of a conventional contact terminal will be described, with reference to a contact terminal used for the connection of a battery pack provided to an electronic device s, such as a cellular phone.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a contact terminal 100 of an electronic device, according to an embodiment of a prior art, is provided wherein only a part of the contact terminal is exposed to the outside of the electronic device. Also, within the electronic device, the contact terminal is electrically connected to a socket 131 provided to a circuit board 103 through an additional connecting member 133.
The contact terminal 100 is fabricated by a cutting or casting (e.g. die casting) of a metallic plate, and includes a fixing member 101 and a contact member 113 which are formed to face each other. On the fixing member 101 and the contact member 113, connecting projections 115a and 115b are formed, respectively, and on the fixing member 101, coupling pieces 111, as a means for fixing the terminal in an electronic device, are formed.
From among the connecting projections, the first connecting projection 115a, which is a part of the contact member 113, curvedly extends away from the fixing member 101 while protrudes slightly upward, while the second connecting projection 115b is bent upward with a curvature and inclination from one end of the fixing member 101. The first connecting projection 115a contacts with terminals provided to the contact node of an additional device, and the second connecting projection 115b contacts with the connecting member 133 within the electronic device. Herein, the connections between the first connecting projection 115a and a power terminal 13 of the battery pack, and between the second connecting projection 115b and the connecting member 133, are maintained by an elastic force of the contact terminal 100 itself.
The coupling pieces 111, are formed at both side ends of the fixing member 101, and are formed with holes for connecting to other structures. As shown in FIG. 2, on the inside surface of an electronic device case 11, at both sides of an aperture exposing the first connecting projection 115a, protrusions (not shown) are formed. When the not shown protrusions pass through the holes of the connecting pieces 111 in the contact terminal 100, the shape of the protrusions is deformed into a rivet head by, for example, an ultrasonic fusion process or other similar process, thereby tightly adhering the connecting pieces 111 to the electronic device case 11.
In order to secure durability, the contact terminal 100 may include a supporting member 102. The supporting member 102, in one aspect, is made of an elastic body of silicon, urethane, or similar type material, and is disposed between the fixing member 101 and the contact member 113. The supporting member 102 may maintain the stable connection of the contact member 113 with the power terminal 13 of the battery pack, and may reduce the possibility of permanent deformation of the contact terminal 100 according to the accumulation of fatigue.
However, such a conventional contact terminal has a disadvantage in that its fabricated components are difficult to be assembled to a product. In other words, since besides a metallic fixing member and a metallic contact member, a supporting member made of an elastic body is required to be additionally provided, and, thus, an additional assembly process is required. Also, an ultrasonic fusion process, or similar type process, is required to attach the contact terminal on the inside surface of the electronic device. This reduces the productivity of manufacturing a product while increasing production costs.
Also, since a conventional contact terminal has no structure for preventing a contact member from being deformed when detaching from a fixing member, there is a problem in that the defect rate of products increases due to excessive protrusion of a connecting projection to the outside of the electronic device.
Furthermore, the conventional contact terminal requires intermediate components, such as the contact terminal, the connecting member, and the socket, from the battery pack to the circuit board, and thus due to the interconnection loss between respective components, the consumption of electrical power of the battery pack is increased.